A 38-year-old Indian-origin nurse, who fled Australia after allegedly murdering an Australian woman in 2018 was charged on Thursday, a day after he was extradited from India.
Rajwinder Singh was charged by the police with one count of murder and is expected to appear before the Cairns Magistrates Court court on Friday, The Guardian newspaper reported.
Singh is accused of murdering 24-year-old Toyah Cordingley in October 2018, whose body was discovered by her father at a beach after she failed to return home from walking her dog.
The accused, an Australian citizen, fled the country after killing Cordingley four years ago, leaving behind his wife and three children, and was carrying an AUD 1 million reward on his arrest.
Singh was nabbed by the Delhi Police on November 25 last year. The Interpol had issued a Red Corner Notice against him, following which the Patiala House Court issued a non-bailable warrant on November 21 under the extradition act.
In an extradition hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court in Victoria on Wednesday, prosecutors told the court that police had DNA evidence linking Singh to the murder, ABC News reported.
"Our primary focus has always been ensuring justice for Toyah, her family and friends without compromising the investigation," Detective Inspector Sonia Smith was quoted as saying in the report.
Smith added that she was relieved that Queensland police relationships with their federal and international counterparts had resulted in the extradition, the report said.
